1865.] Hie Life of the Second Marquis of Worcester. 541 



Inventions 20 to 22, 53 to 55, and 57 relate to hydraulics. 



Inventions 23, 47, and 78 relate to horology. In 23 a water-clock is 

 mentioned, which shows hours, minutes, and seconds ; also the motions 

 of the heavenly bodies, and of the earth, according to the Copernican sys- 

 tem ; not many years before Galileo had been imprisoned by the Inqui- 

 sition for daring to promulgate the Copernican theory, it is therefore 

 with pleasure that we find the Marquis (a Catholic) embracing a theory 

 the propagation of which his Church had endeavoured to suppress ; 

 it is a sign of the rapidly decreasing power of the hierarchy which had 

 so long ruled supreme. In 47, we have the description of a metal 

 ball, which, when thrown into water, floats in such a manner as to in- 

 dicate the exact minute of time. The 78th invention treats of a 

 watch which does not require winding, but must be consulted occa- 

 sionally. The commentator suggests that it was probably so contrived 

 that by opening its case to see the time, it was wound up. The clocks 

 of this period were very inaccurate ; a few years after the publication 

 of the ' Century,' Eobert Hooke introduced the circular pendulum and 

 other improvements, which greatly increased the accuracy of horolo- 

 gical instruments ; Huyghens also contributed much in this direc- 

 tion. 



We may mention together the following miscellaneous inventions, 

 which cannot be classed under any special head : — (56) a contrivance 

 for producing perpetual motion ; (84) a machine, by means of which 

 persons ignorant of arithmetic may effect numerical calculations ; (97) 

 an instrument, by which an unskilful person may take the perspective 

 of anything ; (19) a contrivance for disengaging run-away horses from 

 a coach. This was patented by the Marquis in 1661 ; if we remember 

 rightly, a patent having the same object was taken out in England 

 about three years ago. (45) a means of lighting a candle readily at 

 any time of the night without rising or putting one's hands out of bed. 

 The commentator mentions that it is stated in a work published in 

 1661, that one Caravagio, of Sienna, constructed a clock which would 

 awake a man at any hour he pleased, and at the same time strike a 

 light by flint and steel. We observed the other day, in the Dublin 

 Exhibition, a small clock of German manufacture, described as " An 

 alarum, lighting a candle when striking." (74) a door, which by the 

 motion of its handle may be made to open either inwards or out- 

 wards ; (48) a screw-like ascent, to be substituted for stairs ; (83) a 

 mill for rasping hartshorn ; (87) a mould for casting candles. 



Invention 17 relates to a garden to be floated on the Thames, and 

 to contain trees, fountains, bathing-places, banqueting houses, and 

 mills for producing music ; the commentator adds, " The whole offers 

 one of those raree-show designs in which our great-grandfathers de- 

 lighted, and the descriptions of which formed the staple of their 

 scientific discussions in polite society." We do not agree with Mr. 

 Dircks here, for shows of this description were more in vogue in the 

 time of Henry VIII. and of Elizabeth than in that of Charles I., and 

 we cannot think that scientific discussion was ever wasted on such sub- 

 jects at any period, certainly not so late as the age of Bacon and his 

 immediate successors. 



